My Heart of Darkness
by AnimeManiac001
Summary: Shun was never the same again after Hades possession. Three years later he has to cope with the consequences of being the vessel of the Darkest of Gods. Dark fic, read at your own risk.
1. Confused Darkness

**Disclaimer: **Saint Seiya isn't mine, I have no rights, I'm doing this to my own amusement and since I made no money it's safe to assume this isn't real ant it will never be, although I use some spoilers. A pity, I tell you.

**Key:**

Normal Search, thoughts or emphasis in Flashbacks/dreams.

/Hades impressions manifestation/

_Normal thoughts, Flash backs, dreams, emphasis words and 'Hades-Shun' merging thoughts _(you will see what I meant, the last part is really important so beware)

_**Double emphasis **_in and out of Flash Backs and dreams, if the text is in italic previously then the double emphasis will appear like **this**

'Talking trough Cosmos'

**Author Note:** YOU BETTER READ THIS FIRST BECAUSE I WILL **NOT** ACCEPT FLAMES BY SOMETHING I HAVE PUT BEFORE THE FIC FOR YOUR BENEFIT… so, there will be Anime and manga spoilers mixed in this.

Here all bronze saints are brothers, sons of Mitsumada Kido but except for a few exceptions (majorly Ikki and Shun) they treat each other as good friends (like in the anime). This happens _after_ the OVA of Hades in the Elysium, three years later as you will confirm if you read this story. Shiva and Agora (only Anime character) exist in this narrative and no, they don't die like in the anime, my change; but Cristal Saint doesn't exist so Hyoga's master was always Camus (Manga canon). And apart from the gold saints and Shion, the nine silver saints resurrected in Hades Arc are brought back but they will not have much input so don't worry. I have done a lithe research and there will be a few mentions of Greece mythology and Saint Seiya Lost Canvas so don't be surprised.

**This a Two-Shot fic! I wanted to make it one-shot but it was getting too big, so I will post the other part soon.**

**WARNING:** This is a DARK fic, there will be morbid themes here, blood and cursing. If you are sensitive or don't like this don't flame me because after this point it's your own choice to read, I hold no responsibility over your acts and/or consequences of you reading this (except if it's a good thing, in that case I want all the credits ;D).  
You have been warned and for those who still want to read go ahead and make yourselves happy.

**A.N. P.S:** I would appreciate if you review in the end to tell me what you think, you would make me a very happy girl. Thanks and good reading.

**By: **AnimeManiac001

**My Heart of Darkness**

**Chapter 1: Confused Darkness**

Three years. It has been three years since that event. That gruesome and unforgettable event… Hades possession; Hades awakening soul inside of his own, his thoughts, memories, actions… it was, in a word, a nauseating reminiscence.

Words didn't exist to describe his abomination of existence. How could such individual be brother of all powerful Zeus and confident Poseidon? Even Ares, God of Bloodlust, didn't have the hatred that Hades possessed… even so they were friends; Ares and Hades; something he learned when he had that… being, inside of him. Ares loved fights, struggles, battles, wars; the whole lot of slaughter. He loved the power he could have over the defected enemies, the violence that result of that's occasions. Betrayal, envy, hate, passion, the feelings that caused death and bloodshed. He had _fun_ with it. As much fun Hades had with torturing the poor creatures in his realm.

Shun trembled thinking of some of them, the appearance of the souls in the prisons he saw and in the memory of his counterpart.

"Shun, is everything well? You don't have a good colour in your face." Asked his sensei behind him. Shun almost jumped, he didn't felt his master approach, but then again who could feel _Shaka_ when he himself didn't want to? It was strange that he was the apprentice of the man closest to god. It was a decision of Athena that Shun… sort of… resented. It wasn't as if he didn't like Shaka, no, he respect him a lot by his undying loyalty and vigorous perseverance, but he always felt strange when in close proximity of him and didn't exactly had a affinity like Shiryu, Seiya and Hyoga had with their own professors; Ikki was… Ikki. With Shaka they would be always be a bit on edge since they weren't the best friends, to put it mildly. They tried but Shaka nature as someone between human and god, difficult things a bit, and Shun himself… couldn't… wouldn't cluster too much. Anxiety perhaps? ...Or it was because…

"No, I'm fine, master. Just a bit cold, but today is such a nice night. The sky is clean of clouds; I can see the stars perfectly." He said. He knew from experience that Shaka liked to know the motives of Shun doing something. It was for the reason that he was his pupil, or since he was the one that saw him as the once vessel of Hades? Ahh… not good, he returned to a trail of thought he didn't want to think about in the moment.

He always wondered if Shaka could see inside of his head with his stare… like the one he was giving him know… really he need to be more careful with his deliberations or his master would catch a glimpse of them.

"Very well. But remember you have to train early tomorrow and I won't allow sleeping in." Shaka was making Shun know that tomorrow would be a hard day since he would to bed a bit more lately than usual.

"Of course, master" 'You never do.' He spoke with is cosmos. That was unnecessary, Shun knew, but he couldn't resist, since Shaka seemed to relax a bit and even give a knowing little smile. It was good to pretend to be a normal pupil with the same preoccupation and complains of the other students of Sanctuary, Shaka always seemed to be more lighten up if Shun was a bit more like his friends but they both knew he was very different, for different reasons of course. He hadn't worked hard three years to be exposed now. He wouldn't disturb anyone with _that_… no one… _never_.

Ah, again alone. Quiet and lonely, as he should be in times like this. He didn't permit himself to remember what happened every night or in a frequent pattern. Zeus only knows what it would do to his frame of mind. But sometimes, as now, it was necessary. To remember how much sadness and sacrifices the wars caused. To relieve the heaviness mount up in the hard weeks of training. It was risky, but there wasn't anything he could do. That was a fact, not a presumption.

Once more the shadows of death were surrounding him. He could taste the memories, the horrors near to his consciousness. His eyes clouded for a brief second, and for that spilt instant he could see another reality. A god's realism based in the recollection they had from their countless existences. He had sealed them in a deep part of his psyche after the end of the Holy War. To not remember, to not know, to not imagine… ahh, a privilege he didn't had. How he desired he had never had to be acquainted with Hades. But wishing something impossible wasn't like him. He could not change the past.

Shun rose from his posture in the ground and walked calmly to his room, a little blessing that it was far from his master's, he was sure that if it wasn't the case he would have been found out long before.

He done his night rituals and walk to the bed, meanwhile keeping his thoughts as blank as possible. "Time to welcome the… nightmares?" he asked himself as he lay in his bed, turning to the side in a restful position. The bedstead was simple and not very hard, neither very comfortable, with a little mattress and a warm blanket to the coolest nights.

Today was one of them, but not to the body; but to the soul…

Feeling his awareness slipping in the layers of slumber he could sense the darkness set free from its coffin and envelop him and everything that was him. Soon nothing would remain of Shun; Hades memories would take control and guide him to a new set of horrors and dark fantasies that he himself would never had under normal circumstances. Shun could only hope that, akin to the sky, even in the middle of Darkness, there would always exist little stars of light do scatter that obscurity.

_----_

_My ally and I were killing that feeble servants of our enemies, they were an easy kill. Undeserving of us. Ares smirked wickedly at me and I responded in the same way. We advanced to the lord of the castle we were peeling. The muck was trembling at our feat, crying and begging, when he tried to reach me (I was closest) I kicked him the face. The daring of him to touch me. Ares laugh behind me, no matter if he give us the information or not, he would suffer._

_----_

"_No! Stop, Hades! Why are you doing this?" a woman of brown hair asked me, with her blue eyes shining with anger._

_Athena._

_Humph._

_I preferred seeing her eyes void of life and that hair of her red with her blood._

_----_

_Phoenix Ikki was at my feet, trying to climb the steps to me… _to save me? _... I could see his face as I kill him, how pathetic of a worm like him think he could defy the Lord of Death! His screams were music to my ears, full of the pain and despair of the humankind as I would exterminate every single one of them._

----

…_a boy named Alone was painting a little dog…_

…_when the thing died he cried…_

_How disgusting of him! My servant was so pure that he couldn't even feel hate or anger. His art however was not pitiful, the boy's purity allowed him to be this Hades avatar. With his gift to painting together with my power I/he could fill the world with the most beautiful of colours: black._

_The Lost canvas._

_A portrait of the world in its true form._

_The true magnificence of death._

_----_

_Screams were heard as the skin leaved the man's body. Bit by bit the skin was pealed leaving a mass of blood and muscle. The man's voice was louder and louder as the pain accumulated. I lift a wire and stated to put it in his nose._

_The panic was magnificent._

_The pain excruciating._

_And the most beautiful of all was the entire… hopelessness._

_But I wouldn't let in to pass out, no, he would suffer awake, conscious and lucid while I tear down his muscles, poured venom in his veins, break his bones. I would had his lung pierced and his intestines exposed, his stomach and entrails withdrawn, his skull fractured and his voice box a mess (he would still scream, where was the fun if he didn't voice his pain?), I'm doing all of that and only _then_, if I filing merciful, only _then_, I would let him pass out… His death however won't come in many days. That was the punishment for helping Athena and his Saints, no matter if the war wasn't lost because of this. This Hades chastise brutality the traitors and double stabbers. For this man to have pledge an alliance to him and them to think that Athena was the one right?! To critic _my _decisions? How simpleton of this human, a human don't have the right to considerate this Hades decisions, he simply had to do what he was told._

_----_

"_That is what you want, Hades-sama?" a woman, my slave, asked._

"_Yes Pandora." I explain to her, after the fiasco of fight with Athena I couldn't risk my body like that. "After this day and until I possess the Earth that my brother give to that brat of his I will own the body of the purest of the humans, only the purest of all of them! I won't have a vessel of a soiled and sickening essence to carry my soul." I said as I decapitated one of those creatures with my sword. Blood was everywhere but none on me. My original body was something precious and couldn't have even a scratch on it. Athena _would_ pay for that one._

"_Death is salvation!" Yes. Accept me and everyone you know will be saved. Death is the end of every problem. No one will suffer anymore if they are death._

_Kill them all Alone!_

_Kill them._

_Sasha!_

_Tenma!_

_----_

_Hate flowed in my veins as blood run from his face. _MY _blood. I bring my sword down one time over the chest of the unfaithful thing that hurt my face. He screamed. Not enough. Again and again this Hades blade hit him. The man, a _saint_, persist on protect my enemy. He would die. Die. Die! DIE!_

_His cloth didn't protect him anymore. His arms, legs, torso, were bloody. Muscles, and bone could be spot. Yet that thing still breathes. My rapier was once again moving, I fell pleased felling his flesh open under my attack. His eyes were on my own, strangely calm as if accepting his end. My triumph was evident, even if I lost this war, others would come, and this one wouldn't see them. Athena would pass, the same way Pegasus was losing his head. The pressure that tried to repel my attack disappeared. Bone, tissue and blood poured from the headless human and its head fall on the ground._

_I was deaf to the scream of the woman I hated more that everything as she shriek for the dead saint. The only thing I could hear was the superb sound of this boy's last breath._

_----_

_His tree judges were arguing the destiny of Sisyphus, that man, that disgusting creature who dared to fool his brother Zeus, the King of Gods of Olympus, to report one of Zeus's secrets._

_It was not what his brother had done; everyone, since mortal to immortals, knows of his affairs, but Sisyphus… to have considered himself as a peer who could account it… he deserved the worst punishment of all. But what? Whose prison I would put him to make him pay the horrible deed he committed? To avenge the gods' honour, my included by this deceit. _

"_My lord Hades?" asked Minos, one of my three moderators and strongest and cunning spectre. I gave him my attention, he could continue. "What about the 8__th__ prison, Cocytus?"_

"_The iced river of Hell? The last prison? That's insufficient!!" A wicked idea crossed my mind. Brother would be pleased and the divine reputation would be revenged. As I rose myself of my throne I could see them tense, I wasn't angry with them however, they would be one the floor panting and screaming if I was._

"_The Lord of Hades commands to bring Sisyphus to this realm, and by my word chain him to the Tartarus, condemned to be cursed to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down again and again, to repeat this throughout eternity." I said; powers of this mekai already advancing to the surface to make my words true._

"_Therefore his eternity will be spend in frustration as a retribution to have consider himself in the same level as gods" I finhish. Tartarus, where lay the imprison Titans, where the worst criminals were sent; even if right, that thing overstep his boundaries. He could regret his indiscretion for all eternity. Once in Tartarus, it was impossible to leave. The simple staying would madden him, but the curse would destroy his pathetic soul. If he could as simple deal with the problem of Athena…_

_He would shackle her to the part of the deepest hell and let all the titans rape and beat her, he would put her burning in Hyperion's eternal and hottest flames to consume her skin, flesh and bones. He would make her see the horrible humans and the retributions of their arrogance. Mind, soul and body would be tortured to then start everything yet again. Athena wouldn't be rational to ask forgiveness for her conceit._

----

Shun's body move restless in his bed, shuddered and toss without seemly peace. Whimpers were heard to those who possess acute ears but the distance didn't allow any living being to sense his distress. Even his cosmos, the soft, pure and kind cosmos everyone knew was changing to one of pain, anger and darkness.

Could anyone feel it? Could anyone help him?

Unfortunately, he answer was…no.

----

_Once again they fought each other and again Athena brings her dog along. But no matter, I would finish her, Saints be dammed, her own power cursed. The cosmos she was so proud of would come to an end. Her life, her precious life maintained since mythological times with her victories over my brother, me and Ares would cease._

_The body she used would be triturated by me, her soft tissue and bones would be given to the guardian beast of my hell, Cerberus. He would feed from her and her conscience would see; I would make it so. Once in my possession, her cosmos energy filled with her mind would pass by the 8 prisons and Tartarus. I would make her suffer without end, and after my anger, and revenge sated, I would calmly dispose of her._

----

"_I have come to take your life, Hades!"_

_Virgo no Shaka had presented himself in front of him. How could a Saint of Athena, no matter if one of the strongest of them, one of the 12 Gold Saints, had managed to come to Guidecca? And of top of that, threatened to kill him? How daring of him. I smiled, he was the one how was with Athena, so he should know where that nuisance is._

……

"_Where is Athena?"_

"_It will be pointless to you to know if you're going to die, no? _Tenma Koufuku!_"_

_The nerve of him to try to attack the god of the underworld! Anger and disgust merged together for a slip second in me and I imagine how I could afflict the most pain and misery to this man, the one closest of godhood. Break his bones and burn is muscles while turning his blood in ice. Destroy his spirit forcing him to watch his fellow saints dying to the hand of my spectres as being punched by others and bear witness to the punishment I would give Athena. His hair will be bloody and his body unrecognized._

_In my mind imagines of his dying horrified face and his lame corpse on Cocytus, the eternal iced river, for all times._

"_**NO!"**_

----

Shun screamed in his sleep, hurling the covers in his suffering, his mouth letting out little denials as he called his master's and Athena's names. Begging softly to stop.

For the first time in that night Shun tried to fight the nightmares that pledge him. He could not though, they were to deep set and, even if he only felt care and respect for the figures in his dreams, he had to watch Hades memories torture them and undergo the feelings of pleasure that accompanied those reminiscences. "Athena… Master… no. No!" Shun eyes were deeply shut, his face twisted in a grimace.

His night sky was devoid of illuminated stars, only gory red dots.

----

The morning welcomed warmly the saints living in the Sanctuary. They started early, little time afters the sunrise, to continue their routine of yesterday. In time of peace, the saints had to train most number of pupils possible, since the holy wars had depleted the number of knights greatly. Mu and Shion alter their duties to restore the cloths damaged in the different battles and Dohko, for once, didn't have to return to the Five Mounts of Rozan to watch the seal of Hades. Shunrei had moved in to the Sanctuary, to his and Shiryu's pleasure.

But before the sun came out, someone was already out of bed, considering the existences around him like a healing balsam. Awake in this time of tranquillity was the very same one who has to deal with the hardest consequences of last feud. Shun, unable to keep sleeping, had leave the Twelve Temples to breathe the unpolluted air of earth. Even so the flashes of images and emotions were still fresh in his mind. The source of the problem was again sealed, but the constant pulsing to set itself free and merge with him was continuously degrading the mental barriers he put, so he had to remember, like last night, bits of this and that. It was still hard, after all this time, to release the surge of negativism.

And little after the sun's rise Shun had come back, before anyone could miss him, his legs wobbled and his breathing a mess. They would say he was drunk, _if _they didn't know him better. So when his master Shaka was up, Shun had already started the meditation exercises for the day. If he was surprised or not for seeing him there he didn't say. And Shun didn't say in return that each time he looked at him, a very little, very deep part of him want to do Hades's memories justice and kill him. Shun simply fought off the impulse to flinch and force himself to ignore that bloody voice of darkness. He preferred that his master had been another, any other Saint. Not because he couldn't control himself, but he was saddened he couldn't be the pupil he wanted to be, because he could not love his master as he loved Dardaros. He wanted so much to be gentler, more open, and more caring with Shaka but he simply couldn't give himself fully to his training and him. Even if he did, care and love, it wasn't the same level of emotions and admiration other students had for him. And Shun knew it. However, he would never let Shaka think less of him, knowing what Hades had done to him; he preferred that Shaka distanced himself of his person.

The day was slow and agonizing, any task given seemed to take hours instead of minutes and when his sensei say he could rest Shun nearly cried, he hadn't a day like this since the beginnings of his teachings. His mind was foggy and the extra work was driven the Andromeda Saint mad of tiredness and reduced patience to block the bad mood which followed his _night's_ activities. He could only hope his nii-san and friends would leave his lunch break in peace.

----

Did he said that his luck was cursed?

No? But, _oh_, it _was_. The day he would give almost everything to _not_ see his closest friends and family was the day they would _beg_ his teacher to give the rest of the day off. A _whole_ afternoon, as if the simple lunch hour wouldn't have been difficult enough to withdraw any signal of indisposition off his face. And what master Shaka had to say about this? Yes, that's right. He _agreed_! A joy, no? They had planned to go to the village close to the sanctuary, Shun would be surrounded by the same humans that Hades hated in the next day after experienced his emotions; he would have Ikki watch him like a hawk and his friends, the people who opposed and killed the God of Death and the ones he didn't want to hurt in anyway, would be close to him, touching him and trying to joke with him. Any other day (except the ones like this of course) he would love the opportunity to be social, today was a nightmare.

But he couldn't refuse without it being strange and attract unwanted suspicion. So yes, that mean it that Shun would have to go.

Oh boy, this day wouldn't end well…

----

Ikki was very happy today, they (being Hyoga, Seiya, Shiryu and him) manage somehow to convince the Virgo Saint, Shaka, his otouto's sensei, to let him his afternoon off. He had noticed that Shun seemed a little gloomy this last few days… probably Shaka had exaggerated Shun's trainings and he was more tired than usual, so after discussing that with his brother's friends (he wouldn't call them his own even if it killed him) they had come to the conclusion that Shun leaving the Sanctuary for a bit would help. Seeing new faces, walk among normal humans, spot children playing… that sort of things would help Shun regaining that relaxed air of his.

The truth is that Ikki would do anything for Shun. After Hades episode he was really worried about him but Shun didn't seemed off and with the surprising revival of the Gold, Silver saints and Seiya, Ikki had completely forgotten to inquire him, and after the initial shock they had to reconstruct the temples, Shun seemed so normal that Ikki didn't want to ask anything, do something to remember him about the possession. His brother had been so strong, overpowering Hades; to sacrifice himself… he didn't want Shun to remember that he almost lost his life to him, his only brother. Okay, they had others bothers, but they didn't count; Shun and him were pure brothers, of the same father and mother.

Then, a few weeks after the collective work to rebuild the Sanctuary (Ikki was forced to stay, by his brother eyes and, of course, Athena. Who could have the strength to keep him there? Shun didn't need it, he just had to ask, that's why he always disappeared after the fights, or else Shun got him.) Saori-san had given them specific orders to train with the gold saints. Shiryu and Hyoga were easy, they had already their masters. Seiya the same thing, with all the times he clothed Sagittarius armour, no doubts remained. Only Shun and him were a bit more complicated, Ikki because he simple hated company, he was forced to stay and be trained (oh come on! He was already stronger that any saint alive, with the possible exception of Shaka and he was Shun's soon-to-be-master) by Aiolia, and the knight was very excited to be able to hit him with a few punches. Shun was a whole different matter, he didn't want to fight and so didn't see the need to be trained. Shaka was strangely silent; to Ikki eyes, he seemed reluctant too.

Why? No idea.

But since he didn't actually complained, there was no necessity to break his face. It was only required a bit of insistence (in his case, direct order) to convince the brothers to accept the tutelage. Other bronze saints, their _half_ (notice the emphasis?), _half_-brothers would train with the Silver saints. Mu had his own apprentice and plenty of work. Aldebaran had a handful of new recruits and seemed happy enough. Between Saga and Kanon the third house was secured; Death Mask… well, from that one, pupils run away. No one blame them, really, the guy was just plain disturbing. Aiolia, Shaka and Dohko had their hands full; it's good to mention that Shaka had a quite more students other than Shun. No idea where Athena had her head. Milo refused everyone who appeared. _Without ingeniously_, he said, who was he to talk? He was the thickest of all; and Aiolos had Seiya. Shura actually had taken offence when asked. Something about be always here to protect… baby talk about being the most loyal. Rubbish if asking him. No one did. Camus was already occupied and Aphrodite, well, Ikki wasn't really interested. If he didn't approach his lithe bro, all fine between them. He still had a grudge of the first battle, when Shun almost died. If that thing hadn't been taken care of, he would have finished the job. Ikki was proud then, very proud of Shun's power, the sadness ruined things a bit. But let's not get too detailed. Important was that his otouto was kind of depressed, depression was a word too strong, a mixture in tiredness and frustration was more likely, and he had the obligation to help him.

So the answer was taking Shun out of the environment he was surrounded with and make him happy again, it was known well in the Sanctuary that even one of the strongest, Shun was the kindest of all and didn't like to fight at all.

The four of them were inspecting Shun's reactions quite attentively, he seemed normal. Watching the nature around him with a smile, that's his pacific brother.

----

Shaka was surprised when a familiar presence entered the sixth temple of the 12 houses. The figure approached him, looking at the sides as if looking for something… or someone. It seemed like the visit wasn't a social one. "Grand Pope" greeted Shaka to new comer. "Searching someone?" he asked directly. If the tension on Shion's shoulders was something to go by, whatever dealing he had was serious and, most probably, secretive.

"Shaka, I need to speak with you. Urgently. Where are your students?" he asked. Shaka frowned a bit; the voice of Shion was, to lack a better word, alarmed. With times peaceful like the ones now, what could scare him to the point of being talk with him in secret. What for?

_An internal danger._ His mind answered.

"Mnnn, my oldest students are finished for today's lesson, they leaved a while ago, Shun is with his brothers, they were going to the village, they asked me to take him this morning and since his exercises were a bit pushed before, I let them." His preoccupations were confirmed when Shion's face relaxed at hearing Shun whereabouts. An old uneasiness make itself known. Since seeing him as Hades, Shaka had always feared him and for him. He was disinclined to training Andromeda at first, but since then he would be closest to him, Shaka didn't make a fuss. Besides the probabilities that he was wrong were vast, there wasn't required to make a commotion about it and make Shun retract himself because the others were suspicious of him. It was already bad that it was revealed his connection to Hades. No matter the words, to some, Shaka knew, the simple thing that their souls were connected was enough to make them withdraw from Shun. Shaka also knew it make his pupil uncomfortable, for more secluded they were to each other. Shaka and Shun didn't have the typical affection master and student had. It was rueful but true. Shaka had given up trying to approach, Shun was always closed to him, cold and androgenic, after a while Shaka had decided to give room and things were better a bit. But Shun didn't get close and Shaka, without options, had lifted his own isolation.

He didn't understand what he had done to be so overlooked, even Ikki wasn't immune to Aiolia's complicity; it was the Sanctuary newest silent joke: a Silver Saint had insulted Aiolia because something, details were unimportant, but the Phoenix, like a lion itself, had literally flown to the attacker neck. The idiot was saved because Aiolios was passing by and saw the whole thing. Needless to say, the events run like wild fire and less than six hours everyone knew. But who was foolish to the point of death to make fun of Ikki with that?

Returning to Shun, if Shion was where _now_, to speak to him about the person he worried the most, than something wasn't right, wasn't right at all. In his head he was already comparing situations, trying to see a pattern but in vain. He wanted at same time protect Shun and reprehend him to not coming to him. But Shaka was aware it was unfair of him; there wasn't a rule that said that his student had to come with him with problems unrelated to his teachings. Shaka had again regretted not be able to confront Shun about that. Shaka opened his eyes, to look, to actually _see_ the problem. This time he couldn't ignore, couldn't give Shun room to avoid his questions

"Speak. What's wrong with Shun?" in his voice the exhaustion was evident. Shion's eyes widened, however sensing his ignorance about the nature of the subject he wanted to talk about, he simply nodded without statement and began his narrative.

----

Shun was at his limit, coming to the little rural community wasn't very hard, Hades liked the nature per se so it only awakened good memories, recollections immemorial of times, the times were him and his brothers and sisters were in their first live. Shun didn't knew of those, he was drowned in the more recent and brutal ones. These he was seeing now though, as if looking at something in the wasters, were very beautiful…

_The gods were playing with the nature around them. They were discovering the affinities they had with the gift their grandmother Earth gave them._

_The world._

_Zeus loved the sky (he had even transform himself in a bird, how juvenile for the powerful god), Poseidon had preference for the water (obviously), Demeter liked everything… especially the things grown from big Mother Gaia, Hera was found of the animals and Hestia was affectionate with the families of different species, she was very tender with her siblings. Hades appreciated the nature, but disliked the sun's light, something Shun knows in the skin, and wondered mutely if he could make a space were these beauties were presence but not the hideous brightness…_

_Wow, so that's how and when the Elysium was imagined._

"…here!" Wait! Seiya was saying something?

Looking to his brothers and the direction of their faces Shun didn't take long to understand. The skin of his arms crawled, his stomach was heavy and his head hurt.

They had arrived to the community.

----

Walking among these… creatures… was one of the hardest things he had done. And he thought that in these days was hard to train with Shaka. Compared with the task given to him now that seemed a piece of cake. Shun was alert to maintain his face expressionless. The movement of people help him to not watch directly his companions and he search to gaze to neutral points only. A portion of grass, a flower, the red in someone's cloths, a jewel for sale, something… anything… that wasn't those FILTHY HUMANS!

HUMANS, HUMANS AND MORE HUMANS! THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!!

They were everywhere like cockroaches, they are a plague that is obliged to be exterminated. The urge to go on a killing spree was _so_ tempting. A pull he _couldn't_ refus…

"SHUN!" a voice awoke him from his dark fantasy. His pulse was hasty and suddenly he felt blood rush to his face, he was shocked of his own reactions and looked to the one who had save him from this morbid desire.

He didn't saw the man who was scared stiff from his face, one who was in his line of sight and that Shun only saw as a part of the so wanted carnage.

"Nii-san, what is it?" he asked, forcing a false smile in his anxious face.

Ikki breath a relieve sigh. "Shun I know you're happy…" he didn't notice the dangerous glint in Andromeda's eyes "…but please try to keep with us. I was thinking we had lost you" that was a lie, they only had a few meters ahead. Shun could even now see then, but decided that any answer would be dangerous to his unstable mood, so he direct himself to where his friends were, passing his brother in a hurry using all his strength to smile… Smile and smile and laugh; that would be the theme of his day.

Great.

----

It was hard to believe that just three scarce hours had passed. It felt a little eternity. Shun was sick of seeing pervert married mans looking to other's wife, woman crudely flirting with any kind of male who appear in their faces, little bastards troubling their whore of mothers for candies. He could see the darkest of darkest of their nature, the revolt in his spirit was so strong he wanted nothing more that to tear those mucks to bits. Oh, how would he enjoy it!

Yet… he didn't do it.

It was tough, but he didn't act on his heart's desire, the sinister heart he won by merging momentarily with his half, Hades. His friends _/the human organisms that followed him around/_ were trying to make talk; the impulse to _/kill them, just trespass their chests with his hands and __**squeeze**__…/ _"…chocolate ice-cream?" …but he resist those vile… "Yes, Seiya, I liked very much. Thank you." …urges.

Soon everything was a blur. He eating ice-cream, going to the diverse selling barracks. The objects, fabrics _/…rags…/_, foods… He agreed with whatever told to him, he would go wherever they conduct him, he was always smiling. _Always. Smiling._ It was killing the tolerance he had built in the last three years, but he managed somehow. He couldn't let tip him off.

----

A few hours later everything was bankrupt when he casually saw a little child, just a tiny example of human race. The kid was playing in the mud /_soiled ground, perfidy, never ending lewdness, immorality/ _and looked at him, _at him_… the cloths were worn down and dirty and the _/thing… He was staring at __**him**__. Him! The very reincarnation of an all-powerful God! Blasphemy! Sacrilege! Disrespect! Profanity!/ _infant's in his innocence took his equally dirt hand to his mouth. A simple gesture… but something _snapped _inside, as if hearing it smash. A dark and _cold_ hate arose in him. And he, Andromeda Shun, Hades's vessel, directs his gaze to the baby's own. He just glared with those dark emotions, frustration and tension, glared and the… _/disgusting child-beast/ …_reacted.

The horror was priceless, the expression rewarding, and the _scream_… ah, the scream was a splendorous sound that filled his ears _stirring a jolt of pressure in his bones, making his blood boil with the same intensity that in the past raged as he decimated hundreds._

The commotion which came after was normal. The mother was seeing the body her son, searching wounds, the father was watching not knowing what to do with himself. The people around were avidly looking to something to make a scandal. The babe cried and cried, and each time it seek out Shun's eyes, it cried more and louder. The interest and sequent dread for such pitiful being just seemed hilarious to him. Even those saints at his side were looking engrossed. When he was about to laugh he understand exactly what was going on.

Shun, the _normal_ and _virtuous_ Shun, understood that he was the one who had caused all of this and was finding messing with their heads _fun_. _**He was becoming exactly like Hades.**_ HE HAD TO STOP!!

So, naturally, he does what he can.

He runs.

----

Shaka mulled over the information he received via Shion. Things couldn't be worse and Shaka blame himself for it, he should had been more attentive, more present, if he had insisted in discover the reason for Shun loneliness perhaps Andromeda hadn't have to suffer so much. Shaka slept well at night, but even if their rooms were far from each other he should had sensed Shun's distress. Then why he purposefully concealing his struggles? To keep them away from him? The thought hurt more than Shaka wanted to admit. It wasn't fair, Shun shouldn't hide this from him, no matter if they weren't best friends, they were at least fellow saints. Then _why _Shaka hadn't heard about this? And from the looks of things, no one else did.

_Concentrate or the child will escape from your hands again and will isolate himself more. Treat him carefully, he is frail today. _His other conscious Buddha said. He was right. Shaka had to calm himself, little were the times he let his emotions uncontrolled like that.

He had to manoeuvre Shun into telling him without break his trust. He had given his word as Athena Saint of Virgo he would explore the issue. But he was personally involved too; it was his neglect that allowed Shun to come to this point.

— **Flash Back —**

"_What s going on with Shun, Shion?" Shaka asked one more time, this time his voice was colder and harder than before. Mu's master sighed and sat himself on the floor, carefully being close enough so he could speak quietly but without being in Shaka's arm's reach._

"_Today's night was a night without moon so I have gone to Star Hill Mountain to see the stars and their movement. While in times of peace, something is shadowing the future and I was up there to try finding something witch explain this phenomenon. I couldn't perceive a new enemy but the gloom was still there, as if being something ever present. I attempt again and again but nothing I had done had showed me information about this mysterious menace. The only thing obvious was that in that night, in that particular yesterday night, the darkness was stronger, as if in the days and most of the nights the shade I saw was nothing but the sleeping presence of the real danger that was awake in that moment._

"_Tired and without news to Athena I returned to the Sanctuary at early hours in the morning, the sun close to arising, I hadn't the work to announce my presence because I didn't want company. I was tense and confused and frustrated. I didn't know what to think or do. I had decided to sleep and reflect on that when I was rested. So when I was in the woods of the Sanctuary periphery I was surprised to sense someone there."_

_Shaka, who was hearing the recount vigilantly, close his eyes at the pause, repressing his emotions one more. It was obvious but he still felt doubtful, because he couldn't believe he left his house without him sensing, Shaka sleeping or not._

"_Shun?" he asked at last._

"_Shun" Shion answer was simple and informative. But a pause followed and Shaka was once again interested. "…But not… not, your Shun… everyone's Shun." _

_Shaka was… confused. Not _his_ Shun? How could that be?_

"_Explain." The Virgo said._

"_He was different, not himself." Shion said after a while, he seemed struggle with the words, as if unsecure about the explanation. His hands were restless in his lap, grabbing and twisting itself and the write tunic, an action of disturbance and… fear?_

"_I don't understand" Shaka said exasperated._

"_He was… not the same… lacking the better word he seemed intoxicated, but he was not, that was clearly, but he appeared at least injured except I could no wound and his cosmos… his cosmos was what scared me the most."_

"_His cosmos… scared you?"_

"_Yes." Shion looked relieved to finally speak; taking a huge strain of his chest, but at same time terrified of what he was saying "His cosmos so pure, calm and peaceful… so clean and chaste… was completely opposite… It was full of anger, disgust and _**coldness**_… it seemed… _**his**_ cosmos… Hades power."_

— **End of Flash Back —**

No, it wasn't right, Hades couldn't be still inside Shun, if that so, he had already attempt against Athena, but she was well and safe.

_He could be repressing the God's actions, it already happened before, no?_ Buddha remembered him. Still, Hades was deceased; even the god of death, who had fooled it so long couldn't escape its embrace.

But then what was his connection _now_? The bond had been severed by Athena, Shaka himself had seen it. When the blood of his goodness had touch Shun skin, it had revived his cosmos almost destroyed, and with her support, Shun had driven Hades out of his body. Then how? How could Hades cosmos had manifest itself in Shun? Could it be that Shaka was seeing things wrong? Could be a detail escaping his perception?

_Most probably. You don't know young Shun version of facts, and it is almost certain that he knows what is going on, but is unable to stop or resolve it since he hadn't gone neither to you, Athena or his ani for help. _Budda calm voice had reached him again. _Calm down, this isn't like you. Your fear is getting in the way to illumination. _He was right; Shaka would not precipitate in judging, not without Shun's explanation. He would fight for it, for his confidence. Shaka believed that it was because no one would understand him that Shun was hiding his problems… of course… he was rejected before for his kind nature. Who would accept him, something like _that_? Athena, the Saints, Poseidon and his generals, his friends, allies and divinity… everyone was almost destroyed by Hades. They despised anything related with him. They would assume instantly that was the Death God, like Shaka had done. Like he had they would fear and spurn Shun.

And in that moment Shaka felt a deep sorrow and anger of himself. It was because his partiality as a Saint Shun was suffering, it was because, even proclaiming justice, the humans still didn't try to save their enemies, didn't have mercy on those it thought it should be killed. If he told someone about this, Shun wouldn't be save, helped… he would be _hunted down_. And deep in his heart Shaka knew he would be one of those who would strive to kill him.

**A.N:** I'm very sorry, the first time I post this I notice too late that some things were missing (there wasn't distinction between dream/reality and different POV's), but now there are all corrected – at least I hope so.

Thank you for your comprehension and review. The more you review faster I update ;D.


	2. Divine Heart

**Disclaimer: **Saint Seiya isn't mine, I have no rights, I'm doing this to my own amusement and since I made no money it's safe to assume this isn't real ant it will never be, although I use some spoilers. A pity, I tell you.

**Key:**

Normal Search, thoughts or emphasis in Flashbacks/dreams.

/Hades impressions manifestation/

_Normal thoughts, Flash backs, dreams, emphasis words and 'Hades-Shun' merging thoughts _(you will see what I meant, the last part is really important so beware)

_**Double emphasis **_in and out of Flash Backs and dreams, if the text is in italic previously then the double emphasis will appear like **this**

'Talking trough Cosmos'

**Author Note:** YOU BETTER READ THIS FIRST BECAUSE I WILL **NOT** ACCEPT FALMES BY SOMETHING I HAVE PUT BEFORE THE FIC FOR YOUR BENEFIT… so, there will be Anime and manga spoilers mixed in this. (I'm repeating this so that you won't accuse me of not warning you first) ;)

Here all bronze saints are brothers, sons of Mitsumada Kido but except for a few exceptions (majorly Ikki and Shun) they treat each other as good friends (like in the anime). This happens _after_ the OVA of Hades in the Elysium, three years later as you will confirm if you read this story. Shiva and Agora (only Anime character) exist in this narrative and no, they don't die like in the anime, my change; but Cristal Saint doesn't exist so Hyoga's master was always Camus (Manga canon). And apart from the gold saints and Shion, the nine silver saints resurrected in Hades Arc are brought back but they will not have much input so don't worry. I have done a lithe research and there will be a few mentions of Greece mythology so don't be surprised.

**I'm really sorry I taken so long to update, I was busy and some parts of this final chapter were really hard to put together. **

**A.N.: **Thank you for your wonderful reviews, I wouldn't have make it without **shunny**, **Shunfan**, **shadow**, **Axya**, **MimiYamatoForever**, **Sana**, **darkacuario**, **devilhangel** that asked me to keep writing, so this Chapter is for you.** I hope you accept this as a late Christmas present, and that you enjoy the final as I did. *wink***

**WARNING:** This is a DARK fic, there will be morbid themes here, blood and cursing. If you are sensitive or don't like this don't flame me because after this point it's your own choice to read, I hold no responsibility over your acts and/or consequences of you reading this (except if it's a good thing, in that case I want all the credits ;D).  
You have been warned and for those who still want to read go ahead and make yourselves happy.

**A.N. P.S:** Don't forget leaving your review please. Thanks and good reading.

**By: **AnimeManiac001

**My Heart of Darkness**

**Chapter 2: Divine Heart**

His day had to be over. He didn't believe himself capable of handling more. As Shun run for everything he was worth it, the image in his head was the bed in the room in the sixth temple of the 12 houses in the Sanctuary. The one not very hard or comfortable, the perfect one he wanted to reach and hide in. He felt as a child, frail and unprotected, a child that wanted, more than anything, hide… hide from the truth; that he was becoming like Hades… His continuous nightmare, that the emotions of that God were affecting more than it should.

He ought to be in the Sanctuary, if he had stayed there he wouldn't had all this problems and temptations. Later he would deal with the consequences of running like this, he would give an explanation, to his brother, friends and master. It didn't make difference what. Just some words that would make them let him go off the hook. Latter… latter…

As he reached the meadow surrounding the 12 temples Shun stopped, caution told him to _not _arriving running like a mad man. So he took a deep breath and focused in calming his racing heart.

When he had finally founded a little harmony, someone had to come and ruin it.

"Look who's here!" didn't he said it? Didn't he? He was cursed. Fucking god messing up with his life. _Hades I hate you so much._

In front of him was Shiva and Agora, two of Shaka's apprentices, actually if memory serves him right, they were two silver saints that his brother defected a long time ago, in the Sanctuary War. And remember when he said that his sensei had students more close to him than Shun? Yes, those two were a perfect example of it.

"Shiva, Agora." Shun was coldly polite. He was so not in the mood for this. He didn't know what they want of him and he didn't want to know. He would be glad if they just shut their mouths and let him be.

"Shun, it's so good to see you. We wanted so much to have a word with you." Shiva's voice was cold and poisonous, exactly like he was.

Ikki didn't talk much about the adversaries that he faced but one thing Shun knew. Those two were the most dangerous of Shaka's students. They believed the Virgo Saint to be a true god (well, under Shaka's religion he _was_ a god; he himself had told Shun that he talked with Buddha quite often, but that's not the point, because it was the power that his master held that fascinated those two, and their desire to please then came from the believe that that power was a god's power, and that Shaka's words were the same as the ones from the gods.) and so they were very loyal to him and adamant to do anything he asked them.

"I'm also glad to see you, but if excuse me I have to return to the sixth temple. I don't want to worry Shaka." Since when Shun lied with so much skill and spite in his words? They were oil to feed the fire! Had he no intellect? He was just doing it to provoke them… damn; he should control himself better.

"I would not worry, Shaka-sama gave you the day off. He isn't waiting for _you_." Agora words were deep, but the revulsion and jealously were present, why did have them to bugger him now?! The 'Hades' inside of him was almost pleading to make an appearance, to show this disgusting mortals who see themselves so highly what was the _real_ power, what was a real God.

"Yes I'm sure Shaka_-sama_ is having a good time in the company of Buddha." The emphasis on the _sama_ was palpable, it seem that they were offended to hear him treat his master so closely… if they knew a tenth of his thoughts about their precious Shaka in times like these… they would flip. A dark smile threatened to emerge but once again Shun pushed those impulses down. Deep down. To deal with this group he would need focus and be composed.

"Either way, I have better things to do. So if you would excuse, I will leave." While his voice didn't waver, they seemed to take his reluctance to stay a signal of fear. As if they could pose a menace to him, even before he was Shaka's pupil, he could defect them any day had he really wanted.

"But we wanted to talk with you for so long. Could you give us just a moment of your time?" Shiva asked, his voice having a treacherous edge. Shun didn't want to stay, in that very instant he was a _very_ perilous person, however they had blocked his way out. Shiva had been in front of him, distracting him with his words while Agora put himself in his back. What an amateur error from his part, if he wasn't so tight bound trying to hold the mental and emotional barriers of his unconscious he would have sensed their intention since the beginning.

He, by Shaka's orders, trained exclusively in the temple of maiden, not having much contact with his others students because Shun was unquestionably the next Virgo Saint and far superior to them having reached the 8º sense and being as strong as his master but without the control Virgo possessed; _that's_ why Athena had wanted him tutored so badly. Shun often thanked her unconscious insight, while begrudging that had to be Shaka the one to train him. Had he not being taught by his sensei to control his mind a tragedy would already have happened.

Meanwhile in his reflections Agora and Shiva had closed the circle around him, Shun wasn't really worried, for he trusted they wouldn't be stupid enough to provoke him to a fight, and besides, fights between appendices (they were all Shaka's even with the title of Saints) were strictly forbidden unless overseen by another impartial saint, depending on the students and their levels of power the knight in question could be bronze, silver or gold. Shun, Ikki, Seiya, Hyoga and Shiryu were always watched by two gold saints at least, not counting their respective masters for their power was the biggest of all. Question of honour however had its own set of rules, including Death Penalty, but that's not called here.

Seiya constantly said Andromeda was too good to his opponents for in Shiva's eyes were shining with will to battle and his pose took an offensive stage. Agora also noted and gave him a look that clearly told him to be quiet, but Shiva was much too angry. He wouldn't pass over a golden opportunity like this.

"No! No Agora! We have him exactly where we want him! I cannot let him go like this" and turning to Shun he said bitterly "How can someone like him be the next Gold Saint of Virgo? Look at him, he doesn't have a hundredth of Shaka's-sama nobility! He's weak and stupid…"

"Shiva!" Agora was nervous; they couldn't draw much attention, if they were found out Shaka would be displeased with them. They had to do things smoothly.

Meanwhile Shun was trying to control the anger and darkness inside him, he was disappointed that the other students were envious of him, he guessed they wanted the chance to be promoted to gold saints too, but with the years they spend training and if Shaka didn't saw the potential until now that's because they didn't had it. Nevertheless even if it was unofficial… everyone knew the 5 bronze warriors were more powerful that the gold saints; the strongest of the whole temple.

"No! We end this now!" Shiva's hand closed in a fist ready to punch him, Agora sighed but tried to grab him, to make him defenceless of the attack. Focusing on shielding himself, the dark energy was canalized to the sole intent of survival too, he jumped high in the sky, being pursued by the silver saints.

They elevated their cosmos and assault him, but Shun easily moved out of the way. Falling elegantly in the ground he asked them.

"Why are you being so hostile to me? What I ever done to you?"

"And you ask?! One of us should be the next Virgo Saint, we are apprentices of Shaka-sama years before you appeared but when the lot of you came to the sanctuary he didn't train us anymore! He was defeated by the simpleton of your brother when he is much more powerful! He could be a god! No, he is a god!" the soldier's eyes were demented, he was a step close to insanity, Shun noted even in his fury… after all Shun himself was a specialist in madness.

"Besides we are not blind, neither Shaka-sama, with his eyes always closed. We see that you are disrespectful to him, we also see the pain you cause him!"

"Pain? What on earth are you talking about?!" Shun demanded, he didn't like at all when they insult his brother, one thing was being odious to him, that he would let pass easy, but his brother… and then they touched in his heart wound… they had noticed his cold demeanour around his master…

"Yes!! We noticed the way you walk and talk around him, as if you are superior to him. You don't mind his words or his feelings! You are nothing more than a spoiled kid who doesn't care about the honour that is being trained by Shaka-sama"

"You know nothing about me and my relationship with Shaka is no one else's business" he was beyond repair now, he couldn't stop or be stopped, ah, what irony. The Darkness was behind him, moulding to his figure, protect and caress him, promising revenge and salvation. The True Perdition.

"You can't speak like that about him! So intimately… as if you are his confident!" Agora was royally pissed, but Shun was more, his own irritation merging slowly with that darkness… Shun was careless about the degenerating shields.

No matter what they say or his conduct with his sensei… he loved him, he would do everything to protecting, even… no, _especially_, from himself. He wouldn't cause him pain, suffering, preoccupation and frustration if he could avoid it. But it seemed like that was false, Shaka was an expert of concealing. He didn't let Shun see the harm he had done. Could it be that Shaka was more connected to him than he thought? No, it wasn't good; if he was that attached… no Shun had to break that link, before it was too late.

"Don't bother Agora" Shiva tone was once again toxin "After al he is Hades _servant_. Like a spectre he has no emotions… no, he doesn't care about anyone. He just an empty _casket_." He spit cold and vengeful, thinking that Hades episode was a sore point.

He was right, he was so right. After hearing Hades name… calling him servant… spectre… recipient… Shun didn't think, didn't react. He jut froze on the spot, his eyes clouded by his soft green hair. The Perdition was him once more.

"Hey what's with him?" Agora questioned, his skin had crawled, and his instincts were warning him of something. Even his cosmos was retreating, wanting to conceal him from something, could it be…?

"Don't you see? He's in shock for being called by his respectful nature! Ahahah"

Shiva was cruel, he steep the wound, opening the almost healed injury. It bleed again, after so many efforts, he was bleeding again. His mind beleaguered by the horrible images, Hades memories… _**his**__memories_, _**his**__emotions. The pleasure of playing with his pray, of hurting, torturing and killing. Everything was his again and he _would_ make this idiots see. How dare then to try to fool around with his mind, to upset him __**this**__ far…_

_He would _show_ them. Yes he _would_ give them a lesson. A superb excruciating lecture. And they like good little saints they were, the soldiers of that bitch Athena, they would _learn. **Yes,**_** they would discover so well…**_

----

All sanctuary trembled. A massive cosmos was so rapid and swiftly released that every saint was confused.

Was that an attack? If so why didn't they sensed it before and were was the source?

It was that an explosion? But there wasn't damage anywhere…

The uncertainty and panic had wrapped itself in the hearts of the followers of Athena, the silence in the next minutes was fearsome… an unconscious part of the human nature, what is called survival instincts, acted, since in the end no one really wanted to face that thing, whatever it was.

The peace had returned almost heavily.

Since they hadn't actually sense a cosmos, only a momentous force they didn't pay much attention… involuntarily, they didn't _want_ to discover what it was… Perhaps one of the dominant saints had exaggerated in the trainings and released too much energy? Perhaps…

Since there wasn't another repetition they assumed that wasn't danger at all to them and Athena; they wanted to assume, to pretend it was nothing.

Of course, little did they know…

----

Shaka, the most powerful saint that had undergo in a trance hours ago to search answers to his predicament was roughly awaken by the biggest explosion of hate and power he ever saw… it were so close connected it was impossible to know if the anger or the strength was what had alert him. Whichever the case, as a gold saint, he had to see…

A cold premonition set in his mind. It was much coincidence… Shun _should_ be in the village… it _shouldn't_ come from him; the ball of energy had gone so hastily he didn't had the time to analyse… if that had come from Shun, then he and Athena… NO! If it was indeed Shun the power would have repeated itself again and in the direction of the 12 mansions, not in the periphery of the woods.

Before any conclusion could be set someone had come running to his house. It was Shion and Aioros. No, no! They weren't on his devices, if it was indeed Shun, Shaka wanted to confront him personal, and _alone_. He had not time to send them away though, so he jogged with them to the exit. On his way Saga, Aldebaran and Mu had joined them. _No, more bystanders… damn,_ Shaka couldn't use his senses to search Shun, there was static in the air.

His companions felt it too, but they couldn't know the source, like he, they too hadn't the time to search from the boost. They yearn to discover what was that… if it was something. So all of them set off to the forest. It wasn't far, in fact, it was what worried the six the most. A threat in the sanctuary… no, no!

Shaka only hoped it wasn't Shun, his child wasn't that bad; maybe… No, he trusted him, his pupil, the one who lived with him all this time. He believed in him. He wouldn't let anything harm him, but if he, Shaka, was the one harmed, the target of Shun's or someone else's resentment? Would he be capable of protect him? YES! He would, he had to, he promised himself to, he couldn't doubt, he will not. It was his job to protect the next gold saint… his novice, his companion and brother of arms, his friend, and his child.

The one that had touched his heart. That had brought him happiness and pain. Closer than a friend or a lover. He was like a son to him, he felt as if he was his father, and like one, he would guard him from everything and everyone. Even from Shun and Shaka themselves. Always, until and further than his death.

Not even Zeus could take this from him.

----

They were the pure picture of desolation, and strangely, in the middle of the Mother Nature, the image didn't clash. It was as if it was meant to be all along.

They approached the young men silently, knowing it was impossible to save then, nonetheless Mu tried. As they predicted the body rejected help, they were almost death. Aldebaran asked if it was better call Athena, but it was pointless, a saddened Saga answer him that she wouldn't make on time, they had a couple of minutes at the most. Before any of them reached her, they would be dead.

The upsetting question was… who had done this? The nature around these two was undisturbed. As if they simple appeared in that place… no, wait, that's not right.

Aioros swallowed dry. Around them there _was_ blood, they hadn't noticed before because the red wasn't together polling or exaggerating quantities, as in a fair fight. There were droplets, little tiny droplets of blood, _everywhere_. In the trees, flowers and fauna. Some animals had blood on their fur/feathers too as if what killed the Saints didn't scare them…

"Look!" he said breathless pointing to the sight. The saints had steeped back, suddenly on their guard, searching with their eyes and cosmos the source of the carnage. But nothing was disturbed in the next seconds. Nothing unnatural appeared and the animals were calm and serene.

A noise suddenly draw their attention to the almost corpses of the silver saints, as if breaking a spell all the animals screamed in terror of that sound, running in different directions, flying in the skies, hiding of the presence of the dying men.

Shaka hearing the clamour made by his students run to them, holding carefully their heads. Shiva's and Agora's eyes were open but seemed unable to comprehend what was around them, their mouths move but no noise was made…

"Shiva, Agora." Shaka called. His voice was strong and at same time soft, he wanted them to go to the other world without regrets.

"…Shak…a-sa…ma" his pupil voice was so broken that was depressing. Mu, Shion and the others had come close to him, to hear what they had to say.

"Yes, I'm here. What happened to you? Who did this?" He wanted to know, for a moment he imagined Shun standing coldly over their dying body, turning his back on them and leaving them at nature's mercy… but he couldn't, the image that had come to his head was of a sensible Shun, seeing the scene with pity and sorrow, trying to help him until the end.

"We… we…"

"Yes, I'm hearing you." Shaka reassure them. Shion and Aioros draw near to them; Aioria's brother took Agora head and put him on his lap, so the saint could see who was with them

"You are not alone, Shiva, Agora, tell us what has take place here, Saints of Athena!" the Pope spoke strongly and with honour.

"We… came here…! The two… of us… to fight…" the light in Shiva's eyes was rapidly being obliterated by the Lady Death, she who doesn't wait for anyone, was shaving their cosmos hastily.

"We… are sorry,… we knew we… shouldn't" Agora deep voice was raspy from the effort.

"Forgive us… Shaka-sama… in the end the… result was… the same…" Shiva convulsed, coughing blood, his breathing was crooked and his body trembled. He would die soon.

"What are you saying? You came here…" Shaka was speechless; he didn't know what to say to them. Mu put his hand in his shoulder, giving him strength.

'_They were waiting for you, my friend. They are asking for your absolution.'_

'_Yes…' _"Yes, of course I forgive you" Could it be? Could they be killed by one another? Was that what he felt? No! No human could evoke that kind of anger, and the power and the malice, it wasn't in the hearts of this boys. But it's what they're saying. Could it be that Shun had nothing to do with this? If so… then he…

"We knew… it would… hurt you… but……"

"…we had… try……"

Their voices were more wiped away; their souls were leaving their bodies. It would take long now. But what they were saying was confused, irrational, what they had to try? They had come here to really fight themselves? Or it was someone else…?

"Who were you fighting? Who did this?" Saga asked, a bit alarmed. None of them believed what their words were insinuating.

"We… we…" Agora eyes suddenly become lifeless. He died.

"S…Sh" Shiva's attempt to form a name alarmed Shaka… for that was the name of… his hands trembled, a shiver spread by the silver saint left alive.

The student's gaze returned to Shaka… and for a moment, illumination had come to the dark orbs... before disappear totally.

"They're gone" Aldebaran voice stated, a bit wobbled.

"They're gone" repeated Shaka, shocked, and frozen in time. He could bring himself to wake from this state. Death never bothered him before… but if it was _Shun_ who… Shun could be Death, he was once before, in Hades, like Hades, but it wasn't him. Not when he saw then in the first time, neither facing Poseidon or Hilda, no matter the adversary, Shun was always kind, even fighting Aphrodite. Hades was the one that awaken the Death in Shun, and thanks to the revival of the Saints lost in previous battles he could rest and be guiltless of his part, since he was only a victim, as all of them. Victim to be Hades's vessel, an unbearable curse.

He wasn't really there when the others decided to take the bodies to be buried in the cemetery. He wasn't really there when the five gold saints and the Pope told Athena what had transpired, he wasn't there when their deity cried the lost of them, and he wasn't really there when they lay to rest the remains.

But he _was_ there when he arrived to his temple, his companions had stayed behind to give the news to the rest of the sanctuary… he didn't remember what was the excuse but it didn't matter in that moment… no, because in that instant Shun was crying somewhere and the lament that his cosmos emanated throttled him. Shaka run searching for his student, his cold manners changed from intensive, to hostile, to regretful and then despair. He couldn't lose him, Shun couldn't be guilty of this… he just couldn't.

When he finally made to the room and opened the damn door… he felt as if someone had punched him _hard_…

Shun was in a miserable state and when Shaka had come in he had suddenly look intently at him with such fear that he suffered grisly inside. His promise came back in full force… how could he let such gem be hurt in any way? His feelings had taken hold of his action, but that didn't mean being senseless, for the reason that if Shun was scared of him he could very quickly attack him in self-defence.

His student he had unconsciously sited in a foetal position; in his eyes Shaka could see that Shun believe him capable of to hurt him… Again he suffered from Andromeda's unaware rejection. Hurting on the inside from allowing things to come to this point.

"Shun calm down. It's me, Virgo no Shaka. I'm not going to hurt you" Shaka explained serenely, attempting to calm his apprentice. Shun eyes were wide, and he trembled all over, his clothes were wrinkled and torn here and there, but to Shaka relief there was no blood on them. Returning his stare to Shun's eyes again he saw that his voice had no effect on him, it was as if he didn't recognize him…

"Shun please. Talk to me… don't you recognize me?" Shaka had stepped once in his direction, Shun screamed and had struggle to stay away from him. The pain came to his soul, but he put that behind his back for now, he was anxious for his apprentice, Shun seemed almost irrational… he shivered and whined, and his cosmos was eradiating horror and fright. In his 23 years of live he never witnesses something like this, and he was one of the few saints who saw the Mekai, alas… Shun was one too.

"Shun?" The gold saint had put his hands on sight, to demonstrate that he wanted to help out and not harm. He briefly wondered if his Shun was hearing him at all…

Taking in consideration his actions… no, he was not conscious. His mind was far off almost completely separated from the body but was an almost impossible feat, the link between soul and body was of steel, Shun and Shaka could weaken the barrier to meditate in the deeps of their conscious. However, Shun stage demonstrated that the link had been severed fluidly and clean. No one could do that to a mind without leaving signs, not Shaka or Athena herself, only the person in question. If somewhat _this_ was intentional… what could have pushed him so far to go deep in his mind and leave his body there?… _if _it was on purpose, why he was that freaked out? The possible explanation was that Shun was forced to go deep in his psyche, leaving the body subjected to his emotions, having no control… the situation required no preparation whatsoever, just the cut, and the body would have been left with the last emotions of the spirit. Shun had to be more powerful that Shaka had even dreamed to manage this accomplishment in such conditions.

While considering the options Shaka was approaching his shocked fellow saint, Shun didn't show signals to have recognized him, and Virgo didn't speak, it was of no use if _Shun_ didn't hear him. When he was close enough, all his muscles tensed and anticipating any sudden movements from the child in from of him.

Shun assaulted.

Catching him in mid air, Shaka done what he never dared before: he hugged him.

Shun was screaming and kicking but he didn't let him go, caressing his hair in a failed attempt of serene him and silently praying no one was near too… the idea they gave in that position was a totally wrong one, Shaka felt hideous in forcing Shun, but he also knew the person he was holding wasn't his beloved student… After some minutes of struggling, Shun body finally shuttled down. He lay limp him his arms.

It had taken Shaka precious minutes to understand that he was crying, Shun was silently crying in his arms. His mind had re-established the connection. Never Buddha's suggestions were so appealing and he followed them without doubting. Keeping on stroking Andromeda saint's curls and whispering reassuring nonsense, after some time he could perceive that Shun was whispering something to, he forced his ears to catch…

"…I didn't wanted to do it… I wanted to stop… could control the anger… why… to me… I just wanted to live in peace… I didn't want them to die…" and on and on, the master of the house of Virgo had to close his eyes and breathe deeply… so his suppositions were right, it was Shun after all, but even knowing that he didn't feel different, didn't feel threatened or feel any danger to Athena. He believe in the same things and his views on his _son_ were the same… he was profoundly relieved.

"It's okay now Shun. It's over now." He said. The body he embraced froze and Shun face came in his line of sight… his untainted green iris were dark with dejection. His next words were heavy on his shoulders.

"It's not over… it will never be over…"

----

Ikki was furious… no, he was more than that, he was infuriated, the anger and preoccupation were so big that he thought his heart was going to explode. Hyoga was cold, not with indifference but with dread, Shiryu was trying to maintain calm and collected but it was obvious that he was close to a breakdown and Seiya… well that one seemed to had have a new set of batteries because he was the only one who was trying to find Shun. The others were just too freaked to be any help.

None of the four realised what had happened, but one minute Shun was there, next one (after an embarrassing scene with a toddler and lots of observers) he was gone. Gone, totally gone, they couldn't track him down in the village, or any of the surroundings. They couldn't sense his presence or cosmos and what was putting them on edge it was that it wasn't Shun customary actions to put stunts like these ones…

"And now?" asked a noisy Seiya.

"Let's give him another hour, if there isn't a sign of him we return to the sanctuary and search there or asked help to find him…" decided the dragon. The two warriors' left nodded and part ways to cover a bigger area. All of them thinking that the day was a shit one.

----

"I don't understand. Please explain to me!" Shaka requested but as more Shun was coming around, lonelier he was becoming, this was his only chance, he just knew it. He had to build trust with Shun, however his pupil didn't allow him to. At the same time Shun was retreating from his hug, but he didn't let him, not without resolving this. He was lenient and involuntarily let come to this point. No more!

"I can't, please! I don't want to talk about it" Shun's voice was trembling, his mind had failed him, hehad allow _Hades_ memories to take the reins, to merge with him, and because of that two saints had died… now _Shaka_ had found him like this… it wasn't supposed to be like this, he should had better control.

"I know you don't. It must be so hard… Nevertheless it isn't running from your problems you are going to solve them" Shaka said calmly, but even him couldn't hide the edge of preoccupation and anguish in his voice. But it seemed that his words weren't helping either. Shun glared to his professor and screamed. "I'm not running!" he was still in his master's arms and it was driving him to extreme.

"How could I know if you don't explain to me?" this time the tone showed how much wounded Shaka was. He was indifferent at first, but was gradually enchanted by the striking emeralds and kind smiles. Shun had invaded his heart and Shaka didn't want it back, he just desired some of his fondness was reciprocal. How had it hurt see that his affection and devotion was to everyone but him, how he was collected and careful around him, his actions, his words, his very _looks_ were guarded, counted. He didn't want him to worship him like he did with Ikki or Athena, he didn't wanted the comradeship between him and Hyoga. He wanted Shun to be truthful to him, to treat him like an anchor, someone he could count on. Instead he was distrustful and acted as if Shaka was hazardous. Shaka had to close himself to not feel the ache of being different, the only one Shun treated dissimilar.

"Please, I'm aware that I'm… asking much, but… have faith on me …" Shun couldn't tell him, how would Shaka react if he told him? What Hades had left for him? That he killed two of his students, his best students? That is if he didn't know it already?

"I trust you, I trust a lot in you! You are the one who don't believe me! You hide from me" Shun couldn't refute that, it wasn't that bad, he didn't doubt his sensei… but he couldn't explain anything, since _everything_ was related to…

"Please, please…" Andromeda was in tears now, he couldn't phantom Shaka's reaction to what was happening to him, he didn't want to go, he didn't want to say goodbye, but if it was what was necessary, then he would!

"No Shun. It's time you to release this from your chest, I would do anything for you. _Anything _so please, I beg you, let me help you."

"You can't… no one can't…. this can't be healed, I have no Salvation."

"You have, absolution is for everyone, Athena says so herself, don't you believe her words, if not mine?" Shun experienced disbelieve and sorrow, Shaka thought he didn't trust him? No it was the exact opposite, he didn't trust _himself_.

"No, I trust you and Athena as well but I don't have… liberty to be forgiven, I don't deserve…" Shaka was warm inside when Shun said he trust him, it was an appreciation he long hope for, but even so, he would allow that to distract him from his work. He wouldn't let Shun drown in despair.

----

Ikki run to the sanctuary, fifteen minutes ago, a massive cosmos energy was felt across the village, while no one in there could identify the source of uneasiness that all sense for a second. Yet for the Saints the story was different, fearing for their goddess, the Saints left running home.

Ikki was worried, Shun had left without telling anyone and now this, he didn't think the events were related but he was so used to take care of him and that explosion of dark cosmos left him edgy.

Entering in the Sanctuary the first thing Seiya, Ikki, Shiryu and Hyoga sensed was the distress and sadness of their deity. Following the golden cosmos, the four of them reached the cemetery. Saori and a few gold, silver and bronze saints were over a grave, a _fresh_ grave. _Shun, no it couldn't be him. I would have known if it was him. I would. _Ikki didn't believe it, and move quicker to see what that was really about, worry in hid features and heart.

It was really fast, knowing what had happened. Shion and Mu gave them the news, the Patriarch's face serious and Mu's sorrowful. Ikki gave a little breath of relieve. While it was a tragedy, he never truly liked any of these fellow saints. Shun was his world, along with Seiya and the others, Athena and a handful of the gold knights. What perplex him was that strange wave of power, and of course, Shun disappearance. But right now he should mourn with all the others the loss of these two poor bastards. No matter what Saori said, he couldn't honestly say he would miss them.

----

"Shan, please, I can't see you like this, you have to have faith… in your strength and courage" Shaka was pleading to him, but Andromeda protégé was still retreating, Virgo had been sure that he had affected Shun somehow, but Shaka felt time slipping, he just knew in his heart that if he let Shun escape from him, he would lose him forever.

"I have waited three years for you to open up, I fear that this my last chance of being able to help you. I should have tried sooner, it's my fault for letting you came to this…" Shaka spoke with his feelings, if reason could reach him, then maybe…

"No… not your fault, mine… always mine…" at least Shun was listening. Good, good. Because

Shaka wouldn't lose him.

"Shhhh, it was my mistake, I live with you not only to train you, but to watch over you, to protect you, in the light and in the shadows. I'm supposed to be here for you, to guide you, and also to see if there was something you couldn't tell me directly. I should have searched for the dilemma you were involved, the why for you behaviour. I was your master, I _am_ your master" he finished, almost crying, his blue gaze set on Shun's green orbs.

For his part, Shun calmed down a little and was looking at him directly in the eyes. The darkness in them terrified Shaka, it was the first time he saw such pure eyes with that dull aspect, they weren't dead as they were when Hades possess him, but were far too old, oldest than time itself. Hopeless and mysterious, full of secrets.

"Do you really want to know? Once you discover there is no way back, you will never forget, it will always hunt you. Truth to be told I didn't tell you, ever. Not just you, Athena and all others. But… if you… are prepared to… accept… Be aware that when you know the truth you will regret ever asking for it." He was crying, he couldn't help it, he couldn't deny his master anything. He sounded so sincere speaking of his feelings, so focussed. Shun couldn't deny that he wanted to share this burden, but for fear, for caution and desire to protect them he detach himself. Would Shaka say yes and accept the truth and the Perdition? Or would he heard his plea, his warning and turn back? He should stay in the light, as Athena's Virgo Gold Saint forever, not to walk the path of shadows with him.

Shaka understood all, the choice he was about to make, the danger of welcoming insanity, all for one boy that probably would never serve Athena, his own Goddess, as well he once did. He couldn't, not any longer, and never again. Was it worth it? Buddha spoke that this was his choice, his free will. For a moment he was lost in what to do, but in the next he knew that he had decided a long time ago.

"The truth, no matter if it is painful or relieving, shall always be accepted by this Shaka. And I want to protect you, to be at your side. No matter what."

Shun was defected, Shaka could see, and it pleased him at same time that hurt him to see it. However when he opened his eyes, doubts, feelings and fear gave way to sheer determination. These were the eyes that Shaka trained for three years. And when he touched in his temple and took his mind to his own Shaka wondered how he could not see this before.

----

Ikki was going the fast as he could to the sixth temple, he had waited far too long with the mourning, but he couldn't leave Athena in the state she was in. She feared another holy war, for that power they all felt before was unquestionably from a God, but she didn't want the Sanctuary to panic. They hadn't sensed the enemy before he unleashed his cosmos, and the deaths of the two silver saints could be blamed on that being, though it was probably him the guilty, given that their testimony pointed to a battle between them no matter how ridiculous it was.

After that he had to find Shun, if there was a new enemy he wanted his brother under his watchful eye. So when he entered in the temple his otouto's name was the first thing that left his lips. But it wasn't him who answered.

"Ikki" the voice strong of Shaka reach his ears.

"Shaka, do you know where Shun is? He disappeared in the village and we, Seiya, me and the others, haven't seen him since. After all what happened we are worried about him." He was direct to the point; Shaka was one of the few persons who could see right through him, it was useless messing around. Furthermore Shaka didn't appear in the mood for chit chat. In fact he looked worse to wear. Nothing about his was different, always composed and perfect, his aura, the air around him however was cold, dead, suffered. He was _sad_, Ikki realised a second too late. The Virgo saint could be one cold man that didn't show his feelings, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel like every other human.

"Shun has returned, he is in his room…"

"Then I have to speak with him, I need to know what happened" interrupted phoenix, moving to the alleyway where he knew Shun's room was.

"He's resting Ikki, I wouldn't advise seeing him now. What happened before had left him distraught. He requires his sleep" It was his impression or Shaka didn't want him to see Shun, could he be wounded? No, of course not, if that so Ikki would know, there wasn't a reason to hide any kind of injury. And if Shun was hurt by this new threat then Athena, and by extension, Ikki, would know. He didn't suspected Shaka per se, but he wanted to see his brother, confirm his wellbeing. Shun was a fragile person, any death, like the ones of Shiva and Agora, would disturb him… maybe he _should _let him rest, just for today and then return in the morning. The last thing his brother need was to be interrogated about what happened a few hours back.

"Ok, Shun should rest. These events are too disturbing. I will come back tomorrow morning." Glancing suspiciously at the gold saint once more Ikki retreated to the temple of the Lion.

Shaka took a deep breath, he didn't want to control Ikki's mind, but he knew as well as Shun that he couldn't see him right now. Shun was in the edge already, a little push and that explosion in the forest would be compared to a children game. Manipulate the Phoenix saint had been hard, but Shun told him how to, he had been wary at first, but seeing his resolution to see his brother convinced him, he had done exactly has his apprentice instructed and instruction after instruction Ikki came to the conclusion that was better to postpone the meeting. They had little time, but it was enough. Shun had agree with him, it was better for him to leave the Sanctuary, if this keep going he would die – and take everyone else with him.

----

Shun looked to his master – no, he told him to call him by this name, Shaka – as he entered in his bedroom. He appeared worn down and miserable. He regretted show him the truth but as if reading his mind Shaka told him.

"Don't look like that. My word is the same; the Truth is something precious and godly, even if it hurt us at times." His gaze was deep and absorbing, like always. _'If you are sure…'_ Shun trailed off with his cosmos.

"Yes, I am. I'm going to speak with Shion, he will help us" Shun was guarded for a second and forced to remember that Shaka wouldn't betray him. He forced himself to steady the flood of emotions inside of his mind, to push Hades's awareness away from him. Breathing deeply Shun said slowly.

"Okay. I'm ready."

"That's good, because we don't have much time. I will meet you in Mu's temple" Shaka answered moving quickly to the secret passage in his temple. Shun turned around and done the same thing with the other passage that head to the first temple. "I will be waiting." He whispered to an empty room.

----

Shaka didn't allow the thought of failure to cross his mind. He didn't want to alarm Shun or himself. He trusted the Grand Pope, his friend Shion, to rely in him for this. He would manage. But in the deeps of his conscious Buddha pronounced himself. _'When, Shaka, has your dedication for your Goddess been surpassed by the love you have to this child? Are you prepared to face the consequences? If you are then go ahead and speak to the man who is awaiting you. If not, then turn around and don't make the children suffer anymore' _Shaka's steps didn't waver once.

'_My mind is clear, my decision made. I'm going accomplished this, and his protection. I don't have doubts.'_ While the God inside him didn't say anything else, Shaka had the impression he was… proud. That warmed his heart. Rising his head Shaka faced the indigo orbs of the Patriarch that was watching him.

"I need a favour from you my old friend."

"Shaka. I can count with the fingers of my hand the times you have come here asking favours. However I don't think this is exactly to you. Tell me." Shion was as knowledge and the Sanctuary gave him credit for. Shaka opened his eyes. "I see fit that to train better my student he have to leave the sanctuary. There are too many things happening here. To come to pinnacle of his power, Shun needs solitude and rigid training that I can't give him here."

Shion frowned, troubled. "This has anything to do to what e spoke about earlier? Have you found out the origin to what I have felt before in Shun's presence?"

There it comes, the big moment. "No" he lied, "But, with your warning, I realized a terrible flaw in my training, and to it come to fruition we have to leave the Sanctuary" He to convince him. He had to.

"Is this a matter of security, with what had happened with…" Shaka didn't let him finish, it was too dangerous for Shun if Shaka was unsuccessful. He fight for the control he perfect since the beginnings of his days. "No. But if I want to be successful in Shun's training we have to leave the fastest possible. Shion, this is important to me, please" Shaka asked, letting a bit of his honesty trough his tone of voice. The former Saint of Aries sighed and in a muted tone questioned him "You know that Phoenix will tear the Sanctuary apart when he found out, don't you?"

"I'm aware of Ikki's temperament. But I trust you and Aioria to deal with him. And I can't have him bothering the seclusion Shun is going through so I'm asking you if I can use your castle in Jamir. It's the only place that can hide our cosmos and where we will be safe from interruptions."

Shion took a few seconds to assimilate what he was saying. Then looking to the deeps of him he questioned him as his superior.

"This is very important, isn't it?"

Shaka was glad he didn't have to lie.

"Yes, it is"

----

The Sanctuary woke alert and ready to fight, unknowing that the threat it so feared had left in the night to protect them. Strong warriors trained with glee and fierceness. But one of the strongest hadn't gone to train like he was supposed to, testing the patience of his master to shreds. The Phoenix Saint was climbing the stairs to the sixth temple because he was worried with Shun and wanted to see him. He sure as hell didn't know how Shaka had managed to convince him to come back today. He should have punched him hard for suggesting Shun didn't need him fussing over him for yesterday little drama.

Arriving to the temple of maiden Ikki shouted is brother name three times, going to the garden Shaka had there. When he entered his jaw dropped like a stone, a new panic crawling to his chest. The Salas Trees were gone; the flowers that bloomed so beautifully had died. All green had disappeared.

Running to his brother's room Ikki throw the door open eyeing every corner. His panic grown to epic scale, because Shun wasn't there… and the room was empty. Empty of everything that makes it Shun's. Suddenly he ran t Shaka's and faced a similar situation. Wanting answers in that instant he jogged to Athena's temple, finding Aioria in the way.

"What the hell Ikki? You were supposed to be in the training room an hour ago!!"

"_Fuck_ _you_! Shun and Shaka are gone and I _demand_ to know where my brother is." Ikki spitted through his teeth, progressing his way. He found Shiryu, Seiya and Hyoga in the other houses and in quick words toll them what was going on. Alongside Aioria, that had come with him, Aioros, Shura, Dohko and Kamus, they reached the 12th temple. Shura asked Aphrodite nicely to remove his flowers but the Phonix was at his limits and growled out that if he didn't get rid of those things _immediately_, he would burn them up. Either way the gold Saint make his flowers disappear and had gone with them to see Shion, his curiosity imagining a scandal.

"Shion!" Ikki shout mindless to what the others were saying to him, to go easy, calm down and treat the Grad Pope with respect. "_Shion_!" He screamed again, advancing to the throne room, barely seeing the guards as they were pushed by his cosmos that burned unconsciously. "SHION!!!" at the third try the ancient Saint came running from a antechamber Ikki supposed it lead to his quarters.

"For all gods! What's happening here?" he demanded, face hard and serious, in all appearance he seemed that he hadn't sleep well in the last few days.

"Where is MY brother?" ordered Ikki, the room heating with his flaming cosmos. Shion signed and took a deep breath, sitting on the throne to steady himself, and look to the Saint gathered there. Then in his calm and strong voice he said. "Shaka and Shun left the Sanctuary yesterday night, to train hard for the Goddess Athena, I do not know where they are or when they're coming back. Shaka said it was urgent this special training and that it couldn't be performed here."

"And you let the leave like that?" shouted the older brother of Shun, being held by Aioria and Aioros when he tried to assault Shion.

Shion looked at the Saints and when Ikki calm down he signalled to them release him "Yes, a master can ask permission to train his student in other place other than the Sanctuary, if they see fit to the progress of the student." Shion looked at the eyes of Ikki, letting him know that while he could have refused the request, there wasn't a valid reason for t, that Shaka and Shun had the right to go and come as they please.

The message, or at least part of it, appeared to pass through because a howl of sadness and frustration erupted of Ikki's lips.

----

Later that day it had come to Shion's knowledge that Ikki had left the Sanctuary searching for Shun, Aiolia, Aioros and Seiya tagging along. He groaned, wondering if it would occur any of them to search in Jamir, but either way, the telekinetic barrier Shion put there should be enough to confuse Ikki's senses. He also questioned Shaka's motives and when he and Shun would return…

The stars revealed a latent darkness imminent in years to come.

----

Two years had passed since that day when Ikki left, Seiya going with him to _do _something instead of waiting. There was no use, they still trained, yeah, because Aiolia and Aioros hadn't to found of leaving the Sanctuary, or should they say… of Ikki's obsession of protecting his otouto? Well, part of the journey was a success, they had become incredible strong, and their cloths answer them more often than not. But they hadn't see nor hair or hide of the Virgos. Ikki was furious as he never saw him. However, when they receive a letter, demanding quite threatening, that they returned to the Sanctuary, signed by Saori herself, they practically jumped to obey… at least three of them.

They were welcome back with open arms and hugs. Kikki had grown a lot and Hyoga and Shiryu were a bit older… and they _were _surprised to hear that he and Shunrey were going to marry in a year. Wow. Although it wasn't because of that they had returned, all gold Saints and their students were called to the Patriarch's temple.

Arriving they had the fortune of see Athena seated in the throne, smiling at them. In that session Saori revealed that they received a letter of Shaka, saying that Shun was finishing his training but when Ikki asked (a bit rudely, let us say it) _where _were they Ahena looked pointly to Shion. The Grand Pope confessed in a rather embarrassed way that Shaka was all along in Jamir. Ikki was past the point of punch him and just leave the room. Seiya, Hyoga and Shiryu followed him, with the purpose of going to the Palace. A few hours later they arrived but didn't saw Shaka.

Shun himself was the one to receive them.

Seiya looked to the person that his dear friend Shun had become; now he understood why Shaka hadn't wanted them to see him. Shun had become even more beautiful, in thin body give place to his well toned, although not pronounced, muscles, his face was sharper and his eyes shined with the same light. The most shocking difference was that the tips of his green hair were now black, the same colour when he was possessed by Hades. A shiver makes itself known in Seiya's body. He didn't fear Shun, but his friend was much different and because he looked…

"…colder, darker and his cosmos was almost like Hades himself." a voice spoke his thoughts; Ikki, Shiryu and Hyoga looked a second at him and then returned their attention to Shun. His voice was the same as they remember him. How could he change so much? And how could he read his mind?

"I'm not reading your thoughts alone Seiya. Also of the others as well. This is an ability I have gained controlling the power inside of me." Shun said again responding to words unsaid.

"Shun…" the older man's voice was scared, trembling with the same thoughts that were in their minds. That this was Hades doing.

"No Ikki. This that I have become is what was meant to be all along, you can't change me, no longer. I have been fighting Hades's power for too long. Accepting it was the only mean I had to no transform in a killing beast, full of anger and evilness. This is what I decided to do, who I choose and now that I'm ready, my time in this word is over." Shun spoke, shadows in his eyes and darkness surrounding him. _This can't be happening_, he consider for a second, _no way…_

Shun was saying goodbye.

As Ikki advanced to grab his little brother, the cosmos that they hadn't felt gathering hit them, sending their conscious away and in that exact moment Seiya _knew_ that next time they faced each other… it would be as enemies.

----

_Shun soul travelled the realms of death, crossing shadows and spectres, some saw him and others don't but it didn't matter. Only a spirit was waiting for him, and it was to him Shun was heading to._

_The prisons were a blur to his perception; only the iced and destroyed Guidecca was of interest. Arriving there the presence he was searching for was felt strong and dark, darker than before. In its true form the King waited for him, in front of the wrecked throne his obscurity took a human form, the almost replica of the image he had long defected with the Bronze Saints, the only and minimal difference was that his hair was shaded green as Shun's was shaded black._

"_Hades" his voice was soft and respectful._

"_Shun, has been long. Have finally accepted your destiny?" Hades didn't seem any different but Shun still have the impression that he was calmer and more determined than before._

"_That's not a question, is it?" he said looking to the eyes of the Lord of Death. "My destiny was set in stone since the time you were bound to me. I could only decide the time my soul would merge with yours" no matter what he done and decided in his life as a Saint, now, in that moment, Shun recognized the loss of his heart. He knew that after that his family, friends, companions and Goodness meant nothing more to him, and thanks to his existence, Hades, the God of the Underworld would come back to fight Athena once more._

"_Then let's go" said the other spirit, turning to go to the Elision, where his resurrection would occur._

"_Yes." Then Hades turned suddenly looking beyond the human sight and narrowed his eyes, his energy becoming more hostile. "There's someone fowling you. Did you know?"_

_Shun faced that lifeless stare and turning to where Hades had looked a few moments ago, he expand his cosmos, for a heartbeat there was nothing there, but a flash of recognition passed thought him as he glimpsed of golden hair and inhumane blue eyes._

"_That soul" he began feeling emotions that he didn't expect to feel again, "will follow me to the end of the earth, to hell and heaven. It was what he said"_

_Hades considered his words "If he's not a danger there is no reason to deny such loyalty, further than to his own goddess" Shun smiled at the understated permission and no matter the destruction he would bring to his friends and family once he reincarnated he was glad that it was over at least. The doubt and the struggle, the despair and the desolation, the isolation and death. Finally ended. Hs destiny now was to face the eternity with the god that marked him as his and that would forever own his soul. And to the one that would be at his side, no matter what, he sent a welcoming thought._

'Shaka_.'_

**The End**

**A.N.:** Guys this IS the End, its a complete fic. And I don't know yet, but there MIGHT be a sequel. I didn't know people would be confused, but really, this is the end of My Heart of Darkness.

So I thank you all who read and review my story, I'm really happy. You can continue to review your opinions, I will listen to all of you.

See you latter. ;D  
AM001


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